Ireland in 1922 was recovering from a long period of civil war. It was the year that Michael Collins was killed. Many changes were happening in Ireland that year including the adoption in the independent state’s new constitution granting women the right to vote.
A beautiful photo taken in that year featuring Elizabeth Higgins and her daughter Lily was found recently. Elizabeth was 24 years old when this photo was taken shortly after the Irish War of Independence. She lived through both the first and second world wars and witnessed many changes. It was a time when Irish people faced many challenges and although Ireland remained neutral during the world wars, a state of Emergency existed which greatly impacted the daily lives of ordinary people.
Elizabeth raised her eight children over the shop which she ran together with her husband Jeremiah. They later handed this shop down to their daughters Delia and Eileen
Photos like these give us a rare glimpse into the past which shaped our lives.
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We get a lot of interesting questions about our 1916 Singer sewing machine. It sits in plain sight, in the window of the shop overlooking the Main Street. Some passersby stand in awe of its rustic beauty while many more ask themselves that age-old question; What happened to the sewing machine?
Back in the 1900s, Ireland was a very different place. In the words of L.P. Hartley:
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there
We were a band of tradespeople. There wasn't a town in the country without a blacksmith, carpenter, or seamstress. Everyone worked together and all had a role to play. Rural towns were just as bustling with life as big cities; Each had their own communities, goods, and services to support their buzzing ecosystem.
Despite the community spirit, few people had money to spend on clothes. Many wore the outfits of their parents, whose outfits belonged to their parents and so on. It didn't make sense to buy something that wouldn't last so the buyers would have been incredibly savvy.
There was, however, one problem with this way of life. If there was a night out, a wedding, or another important event, people would have no means of dressing up. Some would have been forced to by a spare set of "Sunday clothes" for these occasions, but many more simply couldn't afford them.
For some, having a Singer was nearly as important as having a bed. For a one-time investment, it gave people the chance to alter their old clothes and to create new clothes. You could find them everywhere; from sea-side cottages to rural post offices. Everyone had a sewing machine, although it was hard to match the quality of the Singer. Quickly, they became a household name. So what happened? How did this powerful tool end up gathering dust in sheds across the nation? The answer lies with time.
As we see now, more than in historical era, technology advances rapidly. In the case of the Singer sewing machine, its time has, unfortunately, ran out. Clothing modification is unheard of as the garments we wear are being mass produced for cheaper than ever thought possible. Now, it is common to see these icons of Irish history being used quite creatively; most notably as tables for pubs as well as furniture for modern housing.
Despite this, all is not entirely lost; creativity still lives within the Irish people. Back in 1916, Jeremiah bought his newly-wedded wife, Elizabeth, a Singer sewing machine as a gift from Arnotts, Dublin. Although his mother was unsure of his investment, Jeremiah stayed strong and, by doing so, Elizabeth was able to produce wonderful clothes for not only her own children but also for the neighbouring children.
You can find out more about the life of Jeremiah Higgins and his family by reading our History.
Have your own story to tell? We'd love to hear it so feel free to leave a comment below!
]]>Author's Note: This is a repost of my article on the history of one of our oldest suppliers, the Rathbornes Candle company. Due to a technical fault (my apologies) this post was re-published here. It was originally published on 21/07/2018. I hope you'll enjoy reading it if you haven't already!
Two summers ago, our shop underwent its first make-over in nearly sixty years. This was badly needed as we did not wish for it to fall into disrepair like many more buildings of its kind. Not an inch of the building went unchecked; especially the attic, which held many family treasures of yesteryear. Amongst the mountains of documents, books, and antiques there was something that caught our eye; a shipping crate from the world's oldest candle company, The Rathbornes Candle Company.
If we set the scene, a motivated man named John G Rathborne was eager to start producing candles. To pursue his passion, he moved to Dublin from his home in Chester, England sometime during the 1480s. In 1488, he set up shop on Wynetavern Street where his company, The Rathborne Candle Company perfected the art of candle making over five centuries.
When Jeremiah Higgins took over the business from his father, Patrick Higgins, he explored many new opportunities. One of which was candles, which were big business at the time. Electricity was practically non-existent. Without candles, many rural settlements were simply left in the dark. Jeremiah knew this, and so he decided to capitalise on this need; and who better to do it with than the experienced and high-quality candle maker, Rathbornes.
To order candles, a letter would have been sent to Rathbornes. Rathbornes would have packed the candles into a crate and would have sent it by rail. Then, at the Claremorris train station, the crate would be collected by cart and brought to Jeremiah Higgins on Main Street.
Now, Rathbornes has been named "The oldest candle maker in the world". They still operate in Dublin city and continue to produce their candles using the same methods and materials as before. It's their dedication to these tried and tested methods which makes their products truly special. Jeremiah must have recognised this in the 1900s when he ordered a selection of Rathbornes' candles to sell in the shop.
In recent years Rathbornes have continued to innovate. Now, they offer a new collection of scented candles aptly named 'Beyond the Pale' after the historic Pale region of Ireland. These candles come in many scents, from the romantic Dublin Tea Rose to the untamed Wild Mint. If you're interested in getting one of these incredible candles for yourself, you can visit our shop on Main Street, Claremorris.
Thanks for reading! I'll try to answer any questions in the comments.
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